Today was the day in the off-season that a bunch of minor leaguers earned their free agency, and the Dodgers were no exception, with 25 players in the system earning the right, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.

A pair of Spring Training 2013 invites here in Palmer and Abreu, but nobody really notable in the sense that there’s a chance for them to rise above organization depth elsewhere. Abreu had a live arm but he missed the whole year and his status is in doubt.

De La Cruz was a ST 2013 invitee, but it’s Sanchez that’s notable here, as for a moment in time everybody was fearing that he’d be the #5 starter. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it just never worked out, as he missed a ton of bats in AAA (10.7 K/9), but had a 5.13 ERA and walked 5.7 guys per nine.

Alfonso was a ST 2013 invitee but didn’t make it due to illness. The real stories here are the free agencies of Tim Wallach‘s son, Matt, and Towles, who was once a highly-regarded prospect for the Astros but could just never put it together.

1B: Sean Burroughs (AAA)

Yes, that one. Burroughs put up a .755 OPS at 22 in the MLB and was basically out of the league by 25.

2B: Rafael Ynoa (AA)

Ynoa might actually be an interesting pickup for somebody and I’d like him back with the Dodgers. He only had a .708 OPS in AA this year at 25, and will likely end up as org depth, but he walks a lot, plays three infield positions, and has solid bat to ball skills. Scouts have said they could see him in a future utility role in the MLB.

3B: Brian Barden (AAA), Pedro Guerrero (AA), Ryan Mount (AA)

Barden was invited to ST 2013 and … that’s about it.

OF: Matt Angle (AAA), Tony Gwynn Jr. (AAA), Jeremy Moore (AAA)

Angle is probably most famous for somehow sticking on the 40-man roster for seemingly forever in 2012, and Moore was a ST 2013 invitee. Gwynn Jr. simply can’t hit, but he can play defense and has utility in the system if they can retain him. He was actually signed to a two-year deal in 2012 but was designated before the end of the season and never made it back to the bigs after being cut in ST 2013.

Matt Kempsuffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. The extent of the setback and how long it will keep Kemp out is not yet known.

Sunday is not good day for hamstrings at Dodger Stadium. Matt Kemp, in his first day back in Los Angeles after rehabbing for a week at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, suffered a setback while running and will not be ready to be activated from the disabled list on Friday, as originally planned.

“We’ve hit a little bit of a snag because he felt just a little something today still. We haven’t quite made a decision on where he’s going next. The running today was to see where he’s at,” manager Don Mattingly said on Sunday. “That tells us today he’s not quite there. Does that mean two days, three days, seven days? I don’t know that answer, but I do know he’s not 100%. Until we get that, then we’ll start thinking about him going out and playing.”

Yet more bad luck in what has been a lost season thus far for The Bison.

Kemp ran and was doing stretching drills with strength and conditioning coach Brandon McDaniel before Sunday’s game with the Braves, all with trainer Sue Falsone, director of medical services Stan Conte, and team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Kemp did work in the outfield and on the bases, and appeared to be in a good mood in the clubhouse, hugging teammates upon his return.

“It’s always good to have Matt around. It would be really nice if he’s out in the field. It’s good to see him back,” Mattingly said. “He looks good, he’s running pretty good. He’s not quite there yet, talking to medical. We’re still not where we need to be.”

Kemp could have potentially returned this Friday from his 15-day DL stint, but they’re now saying he’s looking at a timetable of next week, but that’s contingent on him passing similar tests and going on a rehab assignment.

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Carl Crawfordhad an MRI on his hamstring injury, and swelling was discovered. He’ll miss more than the minimum on his disabled list stay.

As for Crawford, the Dodgers expect him to miss more than the minimum 15 days on the disabled list after an MRI exam on his strained left hamstring revealed swelling.

“That tells us it was fairly significant,” Mattingly said. “It doesn’t sound like two weeks.”

Crawford was placed on the disabled list on Monday, retroactive to June 2. But the Dodgers aren’t sure he will be back this month.

So yeah, that roster crunch everybody is worried about probably isn’t coming soon.

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Hanley Ramirezre-injured his hamstring injury late last week and has been out of the lineup since, though he has been pinch-hitting the last handful of games.

The Dodgers are without Hanley Ramirez for a second straight game against the Braves at Dodger Stadium, only Friday night isn’t a scheduled day of rest. Ramirez has tightness in his left hamstring, the same one that landed him on the disabled list for a month with a strain, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

“He’s having continued problems enough that they want to get another look at this thing,” said manager Don Mattingly. “We’ll find out if it’s going to be more serious than we’ve been talking about.”

His current status, well before the MRI results are known, is that he hit but can’t run. Mattingly used pitcher Clayton Kershaw to pinch run for Ramirez after he singled in the eighth inning Saturday.

“Guys want to play, but when they can’t run it’s hard to play,” Mattingly said. “Especially with playing short.”

Dodgers will go a man short for the next week, then he’ll aggravate it somehow after pinch hitting and he’ll be put on the DL. Probably.

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Josh Beckett has been shut down for four weeks as he attempts to return from nerve irritation and numbness in his right hand and arm.

Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett will be shut down from throwing for four weeks because of nerve irritation in his right arm and hand, the team announced on Tuesday. Beckett, who saw a nerve specialist in Dallas who confirmed the initial diagnosis, is expected to return to the team on Tuesday.

Manager Don Mattingly said earlier Tuesday that Beckett’s condition wouldn’t require surgery, that rehab would be the route taken by the right-hander. Beckett will continue that rehab on Tuesday.

But with four weeks without throwing, it could be at least two months before he could realistically return to actually pitch for the Dodgers.

Dodgers relief pitcher Scott Elbert’s 2013 season is over before it ever began. The left-hander needs Tommy John surgery and is out for the season, and with an expected recovery of 12-16 months his 2014 campaign is in question as well.

Elbert was diagnosed with a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament after meeting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache and having an MRI exam on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, he just couldn’t stay healthy. Strong non-tender candidate after the season.

Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly will be scratched from Sunday’s start against the Braves because of a chronic neck disc issue. He most likely will be replaced by Triple-A Albuquerque’s Matt Magill, although the club has not made any announcement.

Chronic and neck are never two words you want to hear in tandem.

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Scott Van Slykehas been playing with neck and shoulder discomfort … because of course.

Van Slyke has been playing through worsening discomfort that originated from an attempted diving catch of Yadier Molina’s double on May 25. At the time, Van Slyke described the injury as similar to whiplash.

While Don Mattingly believes Matt Kemp‘s shoulder may be a mental hurdle he’ll have to get past, he and the Dodgers staff are not concerned about it affecting Kemp physically, as the injury hasn’t cropped back up after off-season surgery and there have been no lingering side effects.

“He may be thinking about [the shoulder], but it doesn’t seem like it any more,” manager Don Mattingly said before Tuesday’s game against the Giants. “I think when we assessed Spring Training, we felt like that was one of the hurdles that we crossed that was successful.”

The injury will likely temper Kemp’s power early in the season, but hopefully his shoulder responds better than Adrian Gonzalez‘s did after a similar injury during his time in Boston.

It’s a situation worth monitoring, but it certainly doesn’t seem worthy of panic.

Chad Billingsley allowed four runs in four innings in his minor league rehab assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday night, but more importantly the Dodgers right-hander is healthy and his curve ball was unhindered by the contusion on his right index finger. Billingsley’s next start will likely by Wednesday in San Diego against the Padres.

“My curve was a lot sharper. In the last outing I was throwing 50-foot curve balls. Tonight they were more on top of the plate, I got a double play ball out of one. It was definitely worth it coming back here,” Billingsley said. “I’m ready for the next outing.”

“It went well. I accomplished everything I needed to to get ready for my next start,” Billingsley said on Friday at Dodger Stadium. “I’ve got no issues with the finger. I’m anxious to get back out there, compete and win some ballgames.”

Lilly is expected to make at least one more rehab start before he’s ready to start in the Major Leagues, and then the Dodgers must find room for him. Manager Don Mattingly earlier said Lilly is not a likely candidate for the bullpen, where the Dodgers already have stashed starting pitchers Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang.

Not shockingly, Lilly allowed a few dingers.

The odds are still good that Lilly will be dealt or released when he’s healthy enough to return, as the Dodgers already have three superior lefties in the pen and could get Scott Elbert back at some point around the middle of this season.

With the Dodgers signing all of the players they drafted in the first 10 rounds, the minor league rosters have received ample reinforcements. The latest to sign: Paco Rodriguez. He was assigned to the Great Lakes Loons.

As for on-field performance, the Arizona League Dodgers are on fire. The team is 13-2 on the season and ahead of the second-place AZL Indians by 6 1/2 games. Aside from the Albuquerque Isotopes, the rest of the teams had mediocre weeks.

The ‘Topes led the system in scoring this week with 56 runs. The Dominican Summer League Dodgers gave up the fewest runs (12) in the fewest games played (five).

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Notes: Angelo Songco was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He’s one step closer to being where he needs to be after having offseason surgery. This year’s 13th-round pick Darnell Sweeney joined Rodriguez and Duke Von Schamann as the only 2012 draftees to play at a level higher than rookie ball so far. Matt Kemp finished his rehab stint with the Quakes and Isotopes.

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Albuquerque Isotopes (5-2)

Runs Scored: 56
Runs Allowed: 40

Player Of The Week

Josh Fields – 3B

Fields had a great week, even by Pacific Coast League standards. He went 17-for-31 (.548) with three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. He had at least two hits in every game this week. He isn’t hitting for much power, despite a .515 slugging percentage, but at least he’s putting the bat on the ball. He’s fifth in the PCL in hits (112).

Pitcher Of The Week

John Ely – RHP

Yeah, you’re not surprised. This is the sixth time Ely has won this award and he did so by having another fantastic week: 13 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 14 K. There’s not really much more to say about Ely’s performance this season, so I won’t.

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Chattanooga Lookouts (3-4)

Runs Scored: 35
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Nick Buss – CF

The 2008 eighth-rounder out of USC had a great week for the Lookouts: 14-for-30 (.467) with two doubles, a triple, six RBI, and four runs scored. Buss, 25, isn’t much of a prospect, but it’s nice to see him have a solid week. He’s struggling against Southern League pitching (.740 OPS) compared to the California League pitching he faced last season (.880 OPS).

Pitcher Of The Week

Matt Magill – RHP

Magill just edged out Ethan Martin to his second award of the season. He had a great outing this week: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Magill struggled mightily in June (7.46 ERA, .377 batting average against), but has started July off on the right track. Hopefully he’s a little more consistent for the rest of the season.

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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (4-3)

Runs Scored: 44
Runs Allowed: 35

Player Of The Week

Bobby Coyle – OF/DH

Coyle, despite getting limited playing, is making it count. This week was no different: 8-for-19 with two home runs, four doubles, six RBI, and four runs scored. The 2010 10th-round pick has a .413/.455/.641 triple slash in 29 games with the Quakes. Joc Pederson (12-for-32) earns another honorable mention.

Pitcher Of The Week

Andres Santiago – RHP

Santiago, 22, has been inconsistent this season, but he’s also had two of the better performances by a Dodger minor league pitcher this season. He had a couple good outings this week: 14 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 19 K. That 19:2 K:BB ratio looks awfully nice. On the season, Santiago has a 5.01 ERA (bad), but his peripherals are pretty solid otherwise: 3.39 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 8.5 H/9, 0.8 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 10.2 K/9, and a 3.35 K/BB.

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Great Lakes Loons (2-5)

Runs Scored: 23
Runs Allowed: 44

Player Of The Week

Jesse Bosnik – 3B/1B

It was a down week for the Loons on both sides of the ball. Bosnik just edged out Pedro Guerrero for this week’s award. He went 8-for-20 (.400) with a home runs, double, four RBI, and four runs scored. He’s hitting just .256/.294/.390 on the season. Bosnik, 24 in two weeks, isn’t a prospect at this point.

Pitcher Of The Week

Raydel Sanchez – RHP

On the strength of seven no-hit innings on July 2nd, Sanchez wins this week’s award. Last year’s biggest Dodger international signing, Sanchez had the following line: 13 1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 10 K. The 22-year-old is having some success in Midland and is finally in the starting rotation after beginning the season in the bullpen.

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Ogden Raptors (3-4)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 50

Player Of The Week

Justin Boudreaux – IF

Boudreaux is having a much easier time with Ogden than he did with Great Lakes. This week, he went 9-for-21 (.429) with two doubles, two RBI, and four runs scored. The 2011 14th-rounder was somewhat of a sleeper in my eyes coming into the season, but he’s fallen and is a fringe prospect at best right now.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jake Hermsen – LHP

Hermsen earns his second straight award by having a couple solid outings: 11 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. The lefty is having a relatively easy go of it for the Raptors thus far, posting a 2.50 ERA, .236 BAA, and a great 2.36 groundout rate.

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Arizona League Dodgers (5-1)

Runs Scored: 42
Runs Allowed: 32

Player Of The Week

Tyler Ogle – C

Ogle picks up the award for the second straight week by, once again, mashing: 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs, 10 RBI, three doubles, and three walks. The soon-to-be 22-year-old has no issues handling Arizona League pitching and should be promoted sooner rather than later.

Pitcher Of The Week

Jonathan Martinez – RHP

Martinez had another stellar week to earn his second award in three weeks: 10 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. The 18-year-old is having an impressive showing in the AZL and could be a guy to watch in the coming years.

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Dominican Summer League Dodgers (3-2)

Runs Scored: 24
Runs Allowed: 12

Player Of The Week

Melvin Santana – 2B

It was an abbreviated week for the DSL Dodgers, but Santana managed to have the best week of the bunch. He went 6-for-17 (.352) with two triples, two RBI, four runs scored, and four stolen bases. The 20-year-old played in the Dominican Summer League last year and hit .249/.344/.344 with 10 stolen bases. He’s already matched his triple total from last season (four) and has seven doubles (had 11 last year). He’s made some improvements and it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

Pitcher Of The Week

Wander Beras – LHP

Beras had one of the best outings — if not the best — of any Dodger minor leaguer this week: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K. He’s been a little inconsistent in the DSL so far, but the 23-year-old is on his fourth stint in the league and isn’t much to get excited about. He did not play in 2011.